1. Field of Invention
The present invention relates to an agricultural system for forming and wrapping bales of crop material.
2. Description of related art
Different types of combined baling and wrapping devices are known. U.S. Pat. No. 5,822,967, which is hereby incorporated by reference in its entirety, discloses an agricultural unit comprising a baling device and a swing arm bale wrapping device. The baling device comprises bale forming means to form a bale in baling chamber. The baling device comprises a pivotable rear flap to open the baling chamber after formation of a bale in order to make removal of the bale from the baling chamber possible. After forming a bale, the bale is transferred to a wrapping device to wrap the bale in wrapping material, typically film material.
The wrapping device comprises a wrapping table to support the bale during wrapping and wrapping means, e.g. wrapping mechanism, to wrap the wrapping material on the bale. The wrapping mechanism comprises one or more movable parts to be rotated during wrapping around the bale supported on the wrapping table.
In the combination of U.S. Pat. No. 5,822,967, which is hereby incorporated by reference in its entirety, during the formation a bale, the wrapping device cannot be used for wrapping a wrapping material about a bale. Correspondingly, the baling device cannot be used during wrapping of a bale. During wrapping of a bale the rear flap of the baling device remains open. After the wrapping of a bale has finished and the wrapped bale has been dropped on the ground, the rear flap can be closed and the formation of a new bale be started.
Since the baling device and the wrapping device cannot be used at the same time, the throughput of the agricultural system of U.S. Pat. No. 5,822,967 is relatively low.
EP 1 077 025, which is hereby incorporated by reference in its entirety, discloses a similar agricultural unit combining a baling device and a wrapping device. The baling device and the wrapping device are mounted on a single frame. The wrapping device is located behind, and substantially on the same height as the baling device. Transfer means for transferring the bale from the baling device to the wrapping device are provided. These transfer means comprise two pivotable arms which as a result of a consecutive pivoting movement can displace the bale from the baling chamber to the wrapping device. After a bale is formed, the rear flap of the baling device is opened, and the bale is transferred towards the wrapping table of the wrapping device.
A drawback of the combined baling and wrapping device of EP 1077025, is that wrapping can only be started after that the pivotable rear flap of the baling device is closed. This has a negative influence on the cycle time of a single bale and on the overall throughput of the device.
Another drawback of the device of EP 1077025 is that the combination of baling device and wrapping device is relative long.